Apparatus for feeding metal sheets or strips.



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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING METAL SHEETS 0R STRIPS. APPLICATION FILED} APR. 15, 1912.

1 1 90,974. Patented July 11, 1916.

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APPLICATION FILED APR. 1.5, 1912.

Patented July 11, 1916.

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING METAL SHEETS 0R STR|PS.- APPLICATION min APR. 15.. 1912.

1,190,974. Patented July 11, 1916.

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING METAL .SHEETS 0R STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1.5., 191.2.

1,190,974. Patented July 11, 1916.

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING METAL SHETS 0R STRIPS.

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING METAL SHEETS 0R STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. I912.

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING METAL SHEETS 0R STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 191.2.

1 1 90,974. Patented July 11, 1916.

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING METAL SHEETS 0R STRIPS.

APPLICATION) FILED APR. 1'5, I912. 1,1 90,974. Patented July 11, 1916.

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING METAL sums OR STRIPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15, 1912. 1 9 1 90,974. Patented July 11, 1916.

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING METAL SHEETS 0R STRIPS.

APPLICATIONFILED APR. 15. I912.

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Patented July 11, 1916.

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F. C. AREY.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING METAL SHEETS OR STRIPS.

AEPLICATION FILED APR-15, 1912. 1,190,974. Patented July 11, 1916.

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FRED C. AREY, F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TU NORTHWESTERN EXPANDED METAL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING METAL SHEETS OR STRIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented July 11, 1916.

Application filed April 15, 1912. Serial No. 690,895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED C. ABBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak sheets or strips of sheet metal to a machine which is to operate uponthe same.

A subsidiary object of my invention is to provide means in a feeding mechanism for preventing one sheet or strip'from overlapping the rear end of the one preceding it.

A'further subsidiary object of my invention is to provide a novel-. and efiicient arrangement for picking up one end of a strip or sheet from a pile. and delivering it to suitable feed rolls or the like.

A further object of my invention is toproduce a novel feeding mechanism includ ing a construction and arrangement for supporting a pile of superposed sheets or strips and automatically maintaining the top of the pile at a predetermined level as the height of the pile diminishes.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its various objects,'in-

eluding those enumerated and minor ones to be hereinafter made clear, reference is to be had to the'following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a feeding mechanism embodying the various features of my invention in preferred forms; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, there being indicated in dotted lines a-portion of a machine to which sheets or strips are to be fed; Fig. 3 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the central portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4. is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the table or guide at the left hand of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 4;

6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 Fig. isa side elevation of the parts'shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a side elevation'on an enlarged scale of the right hand. end of the machine-as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, parts being broken away in order to reduce the size of the figure; Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a view looking toward the right in Fig. 7 the receiving table or guide being omitted; Fig. 11 is a section taken approximately on line 11 of Fig. 7 Fig. 12 is a section taken approximately on line 12-12 of Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is a section taken approximately on line 13-13 of Fig. 11-; Fig. 14 is a detail 'of a portion of one of the driving shafts shown in Fig. 12; Fig. 15 is a side view of a portion of the machine, showing the mechanism controlled bya sheet -or strip for setting in motion the mechanism which picks up a new sheet or strip; Fig. 16 1s a view similar to Fig. 15, showing a dif ferent position of the parts; Figs. 17, 18 and 19 are detail views on an enlarged scale showing several different positions of the immediate tripping device for the controllin clutch; Fig. 20 is a side view looking towar the right in Fig. 17, the clutch-controlling arm being omitted; Fig. 21 is a vertical section through the main clutch and the adjacent parts on the main shaft; Fig. 22 is a section on line 22-22 of Fig. 21; Fig. 23 is a section on line 2'3-23 of Fig. 21; Fig. 24; is a section on line 24-24 of Fig. 21; Fig. 25 is a transverse section through the shift-' able member of the clutch with the operating leverin position thereon, the section being taken approximately on line 2525 of Fig. 15; Fig. 26 is a section through the controlling lever on the line marked 26 in Fig. 25

Fig. 27 is a fragment on an enlarged scale illustrating a portion of the mechanism for lifting a sheet or strip and one of the. cams for operating the same; Fig. 28 is a view partly in side elevation, looking toward the right in Fig. 27, and partly in vertical section, illustrating the second controlling cam; Fig. 29 is a section on an enlarged scale approximately on line 2929 of Fig. 27; Figs. 30, 31 and 32 are vertical sections on an enlarged scale through the pneumatic. liftin device, different positions of the parts eing illustrated in the several figures; Fig. 33 is a view similar to Fig. 30, illustrating also the controlling device for the valve in the pneumatic device and the relation of the lifting device to the feed rolls at the time of the opening of the valve; Fig. 34 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the guide for the upper end of the valve rod; Fig. 35 is a section on line 3535 of Fig. 33; Fig. 36 is a section through the lower end of the valve rod or stem; Fig. 37 is a detail illustrating the button or head at the upper end of the valve rod or stem; Figs. 38 and 39 are side views, on an en]- larged scale of the ratchet mechanism by which the pile of strips or sheets is raised step by step as sheets are removed from the top of the pile, the parts being shown in different positions in the two views; Fig. 40 is a section approximately on line 10- 40 of Fig. 38; Fig. 41 is an elevation looking toward the left in Fig. 38; Fig. 42 is a section on line 4242 of Fig. 40; Fig. 43 is a section approximately on line 43l3 of Fig. 40; and Fig. 44 is a section through one of the pawls and the support for its'controlling spring. Y

My invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with high speed metalworking machines in which a strip or longsheet of metal is operated upon to change its characteristics; for example, a metal lath machine and, for the sake of brevity, 1 have illustrated and shall describe only a single machine or group of mechanisms in which all of the desirable features adapting it for use in connection with a machine of the kind to which 1 have just referred are combined together; the machine illustrated being one particularly adapted for feeding long sheet metal strips to a high speed metal lath machine. It will of course be understood, however, that my invention is not limited in its use to feeding stock to metal lath machines, nor is it limited to a mechanism or group of mechanisms in which all of the various novel features which 1 have devised are brought together to make a single whole.

. In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings 1 have illustrated a portion of a well known form of metal lath machine having slitting rolls Z by means of which a series of rows of slits are cut into a long strip of sheet metal, after which the sheet is stretched or expanded. The machine which I have devised is adapted to pick up strips automatically from a suitable pile or stack of the same and to feed them into the machine in which they are to be operated upon at such a rate that there will be no gap between the adjacent ends of the strips, but the effect will be rather that of one continuous strip; thereby securing the fullest efficiency of operation by avoiding idle points as is the case where a gap is left between the rear end of one strip and the front end of the following strip.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a suitable stationary frame having on one end thereof a table or guide 2 adapted to extend in proximity to the point at which the strips are to be introduced into the machine for working them, that is in proximity to the slitting rolls in a metal lath machine. On the opposite end of the frame 1 is a platform or table 3 upon which a stack 4 of sheets is adapted to be placed. On the frame are supported two horizontal rolls 5 and 6 lying one behind the other with their lowermost points approximately in the plane of the top of the member 2. Below the rolls 5 and 6, (see particularly Figs. 7 and 11 to 13) is a frame 7 mounted between its ends upon a horizontal shaft 8 which is revolubly supported by a portion of the main frame. The shaft 8 is located between the axes of the rolls 5 and 6 so that as the frame 7 is swung in one direction one end approaches the roll 5 and the other recedes from the roll 6 while, upon swinging the frame in the opposite direction, the latter end thereof approaches the roll 6 and the other end moves away from roll 5. On the end of the swinging frame below the roll 5 is a roll 9 so positioned that when the frame is swung to carry it intoengagement with the roll 5, the axis of the roll 9 is directly beneath the axis of the roll 5. On the other end of the swinging frame is a roll 10 adapted, in one position of the swinging frame, to cooperate with the roll 6. The rolls 5 and 9 are plain cylindrical rolls whose length is approximately equal to the width of the strip to be fed. The rolls 6 and 10 are provided with circumferential ribs 6 and 10 respectively, these ribs being so arranged that each rib on one roll lies between two of the ribs on the other roll when the swinging frame is moved to bring the roll 10 into operative relation to the roll 6. The roll 5 is preferably mounted in vertically yieldable bearings so that it will exert a yielding downward pressure upon a strip passing between it and the roll 9. 1n the arrangement shown, the main frame is provided with two vertical jaws 11 in which are slidably mounted journal boxes 12 into which extend the ends of the shaft 13 of the roll 5. In the jaws above the journal boxes are springs 1 which yieldingly press the boxes, and the roll carried thereby, in a downward direction. The jaws may be closed at the bottom by detachable plates 15, thus forming a stop to limit the downward movement of the roll.

On one end of the main frame is mounted a transverse shaft 16 continuously driven in any suitable manner, and on this shaft, (see Fig. 3) are pulleys 17 and 18, respectively, from which extend belts 19 and 20, one of which passes over a pulley 21 on the end of the shaft of the roll 5 and the other of which passes over a pulley 22 on the supporting shaft for the roll 9. The pulley 22 moves main frame and therefore I introduce between the shaft 23 and the roller shaft 13 a suitable universal joint 24 which will permit the roll 5 to rise and fall without inter;

fering with its drivingconnection with the pulley 21. The rolls 6and 10 are idle rolls.

The swinging frame is automatically actuated from one position to another so that a strip entering between the rolls-5 and 9 is fed forward until its rear end is just about to pass between these rolls, whereupon the swinging frame is reversed so as to cause the corrugated roll 10 to rise and press the rear end of the strip against the cooperating corrugated roll. The strips, one of which is denoted by the reference character 4*, are longer than the distance between-the slitting roll Z and the roll 5 so that before the rear end of the strip is released by the feeding rolls, the front end is grasped b the slitting rolls and it is drawn through t e latchmachine. Consequently, when the rolls 6 and 10 engage with the strip, the strip acts as a driving member and causes themto rotate.

In operation I cause the rolls 5 and 9 .to feed the strip somewhat faster than it passes through the slitting rolls, the yieldable supports for the roll 5 permittin'git to slip readily on the strip as soon as it is engaged by the slitting rolls. By this means, the presence of a new strip at the slitting rolls just as soon as therear end of the preceding strip has passed through them is insured. It is practically impossible to proportion the parts so delicately that each strip will just catch the preceding strip at the slitting rolls and therefore, in order to avoid the necessity of feeding the strips so slowly that they will be sure not to override the rear ends of the strips in advance, and thus cause a double thickness of metal to pass between the slitting rolls,vI have provided'the corrugated rolls which I have heretofore described, The corrugated rolls, it will be seen, will produce longitudinal corrugations in ashort portion of the rear end of each strip as it is drawn between them" by the slitting rolls and will thus make each strip present a vertical face of considerable height at the rear end. Consequently, when the following strip catches up, it will not overlap but will strike against the high vertical face in front of it and be forced to travel at the same speed as the strip in advance. I have elaborated this feature of my invention by providing the upper face of the guide or table 2 with longitudinal corrugations 25 adapted to fit the corrugations in the rear ends of the strips. Secured above the table or guide is a cover 26"having its under face corrugated as at 27 so that the grooves in the member 27 lie opposite the raised portions in the top of'the table, there i being just enough room left between the. high points-on the table and thelow polnts on the cover to permit the passage of the flat portion of a strip, the corrugated portions being accommodated by the corrugations in the table and in the cover. Bythis arrangement, it isimpossible for the front; end of a strip to slide beneath orto rise above the rear end' of the strip in advance. When the corrugated-rear end of a strip passes between the slitting rolls it isfof course fiat tened outagain. It might possibly happen that the following strip, which tends to move forward faster than the one betweenthe slitting rolls, would override the latter fso just as the slitting rolls are reached, and

thus produce a slightly overlapping of the two strips. To prevent any possibility of I such an occurrence, I have provided means,

the slitting rolls, for slightly tilting the on the end of the table or guide adjacentto j front end of each strip as it nears the slit: it

ting rolls. To this end I have provided on the front end of thetableor supporting guide two-dogs 28 and 29, the former lying Y above the table and actingtopress one-side of a strip down while the other dog lies be? low the tableand serves to press the opposite side of thestrip up. Thus as the front end another strip which precedes it'. The canting of the strips is not sufficient to prevent them from feeding readily betweenthe slit ting rolls. The dogs 28 and 29 may becon structed and supported in any suitable manner. In the arrangenient shown, each dog is pivotally connected at one end to the table and has its free end projecting beyond the end of the table. Springs 28, and 29 are,

adapted to press the dogs inthe direction to tilt or cant the strips; being strong enough to effect the tilting or canting, butnot so strong as to place any appreciable strain on the strip when it is graspedby the slitting rolls and returned to its horizontal position.

At one side of the table, and projecting slightly into the spacebetween the cover and "the table are a series of idle rollers 30 against which one edge of each strip bears. On

the opposite side of the table, and preferably I opposite. the rollers 30 is a similar series of rollersBl yieldingly supported so thatthey may move in and out. In the arrangement shown each of the rollers 31 s mounted upon one end of a member 31 which is pivotally supported between its ends on the table as at 31 'and has a spring'fil acting on its otherend and'tendin ggto press the roller" into the space or chamber between the table and the' c0ver. I'Vith this arrangement each strip Wlll be positively positioned'iin the .95 of the strip passes beyond the endoff'the table it IS canted; so as to lie at an angle to,

lateral direction withoutimposing any resistance'to its travel, for the rollersat the sides serve as anti-friction. bearings. By

making one set of rollers yieldab le, com pensation is afforded for slight variations in widths of the strips, so that all of the strips will-be positively. guided and ,alined even though they vary slightly width.

As I have heretofore explained, the swinging frame and the mechanism for delivering the strips to the main feed rolls and 9 is controlleddire'ctly by the strips passing between the feed rolls so that as soon as the rear end of a strip-reaches the main ter-shaft a loose gear member which is driven by a suitable cooperating gear member on the main shaft. On the counter-shaft is a suitable clutch by which the loose gear member may be locked to the shaft or left free to rotate thereon. The clutch construction is best shown in Figs. 7 and15 and in the sectional view,Fig. 21. 1 Referring to these figures, 33 is a cam, whose purpose will be hereinafter explained, fixed to the counter-shaft near the loose gear member 32. The cam may conveniently be provided with an elongated hub 33 which extends laterally therefrom and abuts against the near side of thegear member 32*. On

this hub is splined a clutch member 34 which is free to slide longitudinally on the hub. and is compelled to rotate therewith. On the gear member 32 and on the clutch member '34 are coiiperating clutch teeth32 and 34", respectively. Springs 34 contained within sockets 33 in the side of the cam tend I to force the member 34 toward the gear member so as to bring the clutch teeth into operative relation to each other and cause the counter shaft to be operated.

3 On an arm 1 on the main frame is a transverse rook shaft 35, having a finger, 35, which lies in front. of and extends in prox-. imity to the main feed roll 5. On the end of the rock shaft is an arm, 35", which is con nected, by means of a link 36, to the-upper end of a long lever 37 which is .in turn pivotallymounted on the mainv frame near its lower end. The means for, mounting the lever 37 is best shown in'Fig. 20, 38 representing a stub shaft projecting out from the main frame and extending through a hub 37", near the lower end of the lever, the lever being loose on the shaft. A. torsion spring 38 arranged on the stub shaft, and engaging at Its ends with the shaft and with the lever,

rection as viewedin Figs. 15 and 16. In

' other Words, the torsion spring tends to hold the'lever 37 in such a position that the lower end of the finger 35 is raised into the horizontal plane tangential to the bottom of the feed roll 5. The lower end of the lever 37 is forked as indicated at 37 and in the forkis hung a finger 39. On the frame of the machine below the lever 37 is a projecting'post' 40 having an inclined upper edge 40 and a flat front edge or face 40", the post being so located as to engage with the finger on the lower end of the lever and limit its downward movement.

.. 39 is a spring bearing at its ends against a shoulder 37 on the lever 37 and against the upper side of thefinger 39, respectively; the spring pressing the finger down against the inclined upper face of thepost 40. The post'40 serves also as a stop for the clutchoperating lever which I shall 'now describe. 7

On the frame ofthe machine just above the clutch member :34 is a horizontal stud 41 which extends out over the member34, the

stud extending at right angles to the counter-shaft. On the stud "ismounted a threeto engage With .the vertical face 40 at one limit of its movement. The second arm, 42, extends laterally so as to overlie an en larged portion 33 of thehub on the cam 33. The third arm, 42?, is in the form of a fork or yoke and extends down over the upper half of the clutch member 34, being provided with hearing blocks 42 which lie in an annular groove 34 in the clutch member 34. On the hub portion 33 -is a cam-like lug or projection 43 which is adapted to engage with the arm 42 of the clutch-actuating lever during each revolution of the cam.

The cam 33 is provided with a circumferential groove 33 into which extends a cam.

roll 7 carried upon the lower end of an arm mg frame 7 ,the cam groove being so arranged that in a predetermined position of the cam the swinging frame is held so as to maintain the feed roll 9 in operative relation to the roll 5, while in other angular positions of the cam the swinging frame is held in its opposite position.

-The operation of the mechanisms which I have just described Will-be best understood by reference to Fig. 7 and Figs. 15 to 20. Itwill be seen that while a strip 4 isjpass; ing through the main feed rolls, ,the controlling finger-'35 is held raised by the strip in the position to which the torsion spring 38 associated with the lever 37 tends to move it. The parts are so proportioned that. during this time the finger 39 on the lower end of the lever 37 engages with the lever and holds this level the position indicated in Fig. 7, the teeth of the ditch being out of engagement with each other and the counter-shaft being -'stationary. The arm 42 of the clutch lever stands away from the post 40, as best shown in Fig. 17

' being held against the tension of the-clutchmain feed rolls.

operating springs 34 by means of the strip acting through the part 35 and the parts connected therewith. As soon as the rear' end of the strip reaches the main feed rolls, as indicated approximately in Fig, 15, there IS no longer any support for the controlling member 35 and therefore, the clutch-actuatlng springs 34 being more powerful than the torsion spring 38 on the lever 37, the clutch member 34 begins to move toward its cooperating clutch member, swinging the clutph-actuating' lever inthe clockwise di rection'and, through the finger 39, oscillating the lever .37. The parts are so proportioned that before the upper end of the lever arm 42 strikes agamst the post or stop 40 it drops below thelower edge of the finger 39. This movement is brought about I 39 riding forward over the top of the lever arm 42 as indicated in Fig. 19 and also in Fig. 16, thus bringing the controlling finger 35 back to its normal position in the plane of the top of the strip passing through the As soon as the clutchis thrown in, the counter-shaft and the cam 33 begin to rotate and the swinging frame is shifted from the position indicated in Fig. 7 to that indicated in Fig. 15, the rolls 5 and .9 being drawn apart and the rolls 6 and 10 pressed together upon the rear end of the strip which has just left the main feed rolls. The swinging frame is left in the position indicated in Fig. 15 during the time it takes the cam to make one revo-v lution and then, as the cam roll on, the swinging frame reaches the high point on the cam, the swinging frame is returned to the position indicated in Fig. 7.' It will thus be seen that the main feed rolls are left open during the greater part of one revolution of the counter-shaft and cam, allowing time for a new strip to be inserted between them before they are again closed.

When the cam 33 has made almost a complete revolution, the lug 43 engages with the arm 42 of the clutch lever and oscillates Fig. 18

the clutch lever so as to throw the clutch out of action, the parts being so. roportioned that the lever is returned to the position indicated in Fig. 7. It will be seen that when the clutch lever returns to its idle position it permits the finger 39 to drop down behind it as indicated in Figs/7 and 17, thus locking the clutch lever in its idle I position as long as the lever 37, which carries the finger 39, is held against oscillation. If no strip has been placed between the main feed rolls, thenthere will be nothing to prevent the clutch-actuatingv springs from again overcoming the holding spring for the lever 37 as soon as the clutch is thrown out ofaction; but, by inserting a strip between the main feed rolls while they are open, the controlling member 35 will be supported by this strip at the time the clutch is thrown out and the clutch will thereforebe locked in its inoperative position until the new strip has passed through the feed rolls so that the controlling member 35 is permitted to drop down from the rear end of the strip as indicated in Fi 15.

. I have provided means for automatically picking up a strip from the top of the pile 4. and dehveringit between the main feed rolls during the time the rolls are open, thus permitting the feed rolls tobegin their feeding operation immediately upon being brought in operative relation to each other and occasioning no delay. Generally speaking, this mechanism comprises a pneumatic pick-up device which is lowered uponthe top of the pile, raised to lift the top strip and then moved forwardly so as to bring the end of the strip between the feed rolls. On the main frame of the machine behindthe' gfeed rolls and outside of the counter-shaft is an auxiliary frame 1 in which is revolubly mounted a vertical shaft 44. .On the lower end of the shaft is secured a radial arm 44 havingon its free end a cam roll 44 which engages with .a'cam .45 fixed to the counter-shaft. The cam 45 is so ar: ranged that during a portion of a revolution it permits the shaft to remain-stationary while during another portion of its movement it turns the shaft through apredetermined angle and back again to the start-- ing point. On the shaft is an elongated sleeve 46 having at its upper end a'laterally extending arm 46 which carries at its outer end the pneumatic, pick-up device which I shall hereafter descr1b'e."'1 he sleeve is suitably mounted so as normally to befree to move vertically ,onthe shaft but held against angular movements relative to the shaft. The interior of the sleeve is preferably larger in diameter than the shaft so as to afford a clearance throughout the.

larger portion of the length of the sleeve,

there being in the lower end of the sleeve a suitable bearing 47 which fits upon the. 

